Thank you so much to partner Berkley Romance for a free copy of <i>Ruby Spencer's Whiskey Year</i> and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook!

"If you love it, then it's right. Doesn't have to be anymore complicated than that."

Scotland has been on my shortlist of international places to visit and this book made me want to go there even more. One thing I love about reading is being able to escape to these different locations and get a feel of what that city is like. Another thing I love about reading is when you see characters doing what you sometimes dream of doing. In this case, its leaving everything behind and deciding to live in a foreign country for 1 year to work on a cookbook. Okay so maybe I do not want to write a cookbook but just the idea of being able to pick up a luggage bag or two and go wherever your heart desire with no plan sounds like a fun dream!

One thing Ruby Spencer did not intend to do while being away was to meet a suitable bachelor. She had her fair share of one night stands or dates that didn't amount to anything or just trying to force something to happen. But Brochan was different. I like that they took their time, being friends first with occasional flirts. They knew each other was special even if they couldn't pinpoint what made them special when they first met. They just were so drawn to one another. And I love that Ruby thought that this was going to be just a fling until she realized that he was what she wanted & that being in Scotland was where she was meant to be. I mean how does one not melt when they say, "I want you so much I would set the world on fire just so you could warm your hands." SWOOOON! And yes of course there is a conflict but I won't go into details of what happens, you'll have to read for yourself.

"Life gets weird and messy. And doing life with another person is even harder."

Another element of this book that I loved was the trope(?) of found family. It is not that Ruby did not have parents or family back in the United States but when you move to a new country, you are starting over. You need those supportive people in your life and she was able to find that with those in the Cosy Hearth and in Thistlecross. Grace was such a motherly figure for Ruby and I love their connection and their relationship was exactly what Ruby needed. There was also a reconnection made that I thought was going to be more awkward and troublesome that wasn't - lips sealed on that too! 

I thought the audiobook was fantastic and that the narrator did a wonderful. I am not skilled in Scottish dialects or accents but Nikki Massoud did a great job with the different characters. Also with the going back and forth between American and Scottish must not have been an easy feat to do. 

Does this all seem to be too perfect? Sure but that is what fictional romance is all about! 

Check this book out if you are looking for a cozy romance that makes you long to go to Scotland and also hungry for some yummy food!